Fromage de tete

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Fromage de tete

Postby Oddley » Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:39 am

I made the Fromage de tete from charcuterie and French Pork Cookery. I must say I was impressed, and that don't happen often. This recipe is superb. There were no tongues with the head so couldn't do that. The only other thing I didn't do was put toasted breadcrumbs on it.

    Image

Recipe By: Jane Grigson

Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery


Jane Grigson wrote:Fromage de T�te

� pigs head------2 sprigs parsley
1 trotter-----------2 sprigs thyme
2 onions-----------8 peppercorns
2 carrots----------2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 leeks------------Water to cover
2 cloves garlic----� bottle white wine
2 bay leaves------lemon juice to taste
To finish � -------toasted breadcrumbs, parsley

Half a pig's head makes enough for the average family; but try and acquire the whole brain for a separate dish. Ask the butcher to chop the head into two or three bits, so that it will fit easily into a pan.
Put the pig's head and trotter into the brine tub, page 185, if you have one ready. This makes a great improvement in the flavour of the brawn. Even twenty-four hours makes a difference; if you leave them there for two or three days you will need to bring them to the boil in a pan of cold water to draw off excessive salt before you start the proper cooking.
You can cook several trotters at once with the head, to be eaten on another occasion. If you do this, bind them up tightly in cheesecloth so that they keep their shape. Reckon five hours cooking time.
Once you've drawn off the salt and thrown away the scummy water, add all the other ingredients to the meat in the pan, except the wine and lemon juice. See that the new water really does cover all the meat. Bring slowly to the boil, and wedge the lid on tightly. Use silver foil, and a weight (I have a lump of red rock for this) to keep the lid down.
Simmer as gently as you can for four to eight hours. The length of time will depend on your success in keeping the simmer down to a bare bubble. The slower and steadier the better. Do this on a low heat, or in a low oven. The meat is cooked when it drops easily off the bone.
No salt yet. Wait until you've drained off the liquid, put � of a pint of it into a clean pan with the white wine, and boil it down to � of a pint again. Then taste, and season with salt and lemon juice if you think it needs further sharpening. The point of this operation is to make a well-flavoured jelly. Remember that cold food loses flavour, so allow for this. The secret is to keep tasting the liquid as it reduces.
Meanwhile pick out the meat from the solid remains. Throw the bones and vegetables away. Keep the tongue whole, chop the rest of the meat into smallish dice. There's no short cut to this. Whatever you do, don't put the meat through the mincer, or you'll end up with a nasty jellied mush. Season the meat with spices � quatre-epices if possible,
otherwise a mixture of allspice, cloves and nutmeg. Don't overdo it.
Add the meat to the pan of reduced bouillon, simmer very slowly for twenty minutes. Taste again, and put the pan in the larder to cool down. Keep tasting as it cools and correct the seasoning. Just before it sets, put a layer of chopped meat in the loaf tin, add the tongue whole along the middle, and then add the rest of the chopped meat. Spoon off some of the liquid if you think there's too much of it.
When the fromage has set, unmould it and cover with home-toasted breadcrumbs, not the yellow commercial ones. Put a few slices of white bread in the oven to dry to a pale brown. Crush them between sheets of greaseproof (or in a pestle and mortar), then press them gently onto the fromage when they are nearly cold. Surround with parsley, and put the dish in the refrigerator to chill.
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Postby welsh wizard » Wed Aug 10, 2005 12:28 pm

I must say Oddley that does lok like the dogs dooies - well done, tased it yet?
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Postby Oddley » Wed Aug 10, 2005 12:50 pm

Yep I tasted it immediately after taking the photo. It tasted beautiful. As I said, I was well impressed.

I'm having it for dinner tonight with crispy pigs ears, salad and some pot's.
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Postby Hobbitfeet » Thu Aug 11, 2005 11:29 am

Did you cook the trotter(s) with the head? From the photo there seems to be some good quality gelatine there. My favourite way with trotters is to simmer them down and in the final hour add onions, seasonings and butter beans. You're going to love the way the gelatine runs down your hands and wrists!

Well done mate the fromage looks great.
"I would not enter on my list of friends (Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, yet wanting sensibility) the man who needlessly sets foot upon a worm." William Cowper.
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Postby Oddley » Thu Aug 11, 2005 4:04 pm

I cooked 1 trotter with the heads then clarified the resultant stock with egg shells and whisked egg whites. Using the recipe for the stock, even the wine produced a really great tasting gelatine.
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Postby Michelle » Thu Aug 11, 2005 7:01 pm

Oddley wrote:I cooked 1 trotter with the heads then clarified the resultant stock with egg shells and whisked egg whites. Using the recipe for the stock, even the wine produced a really great tasting gelatine.




Hello there!Could you explain the purpose and procedure for this egg shell and egg ehite?My father inlaw really loves head cheese,I figured this
Fromage de tete would really impress him.I am not wanting any brain thrown in the mix though,would it still turn out O.K?Thank you for your time!

Michelle
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Postby Oddley » Thu Aug 11, 2005 7:49 pm

Hi Michelle, there is no brain in the brawn... :P That is saved for other dishes.

Here is how to clarify the jelly.


Recipe By: Jane Grigson

Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery


Jane Grigson wrote:decide whether it needs clarifying –
which is perfectly simple, so don't lose heart. For two pints of jelly,
beat one egg white to a light froth that just holds its shape, and
crush the shell. Put the jelly into a large pan – one that holds
nearly twice as much liquid as the amount of jelly being clarified,
and add the crushed shell. Set the pan over a low heat, whisk in
the white as the jelly liquifies, and bring slowly to the boil,
whisking all the time. Reduce the heat to keep the liquid at a
simmer for 1O minutes. Turn the heat off, and don't move the pan
for 10 minutes. You will find that a thick, murky crust has formed
including the egg and all the little nasty bits that were clouding
the jelly.
Line a colander with a piece of sheeting, which should be tied
in place over the handles, and suspend it over a bowl. Pour the
broth gently through and leave it to drip. Don't help it along by
stirring or squeezing.
Last edited by Oddley on Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Michelle » Fri Aug 12, 2005 6:35 pm

Thanks Oddley!That "clarify's" thigs for me in a couple of ways!LOL When I give this a try I will let you know how I made out.If you dont mind me asking,how does a person eat brain without a gag reflex?LOL What do you do with the brain?Best wishes!

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Postby Oddley » Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:05 pm

Michelle my philosophy, is this animal has given it's life for me, therefore it's disrespectful for me not to eat everything I can. Being a carnivore and an animal lover, it's a hard choice too eat meat. but seeing as I do, I don't like too waste anything.

Brains can be simmered in milk remove any membrane then slice and fry in butter and olive oil. Cover in any good sauce.

I will look forward to you telling us how you got on.
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Postby Michelle » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:34 pm

Hi Oddley!I forgot to ask,what is a trotter?I really appreciate your time & advice!Thank you!

Michelle
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Postby Oddley » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:45 pm

Hi Michelle, a trotter is a pigs foot normally the front feet.
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Postby Paul Kribs » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:50 pm

georgie

Pigs trotters are basically the foot section of the pig. As Oddley points out they are superb for making a natural thickening agent for brawn etc, but in London they are eaten in their own rite.. they have very little meat and are made up mostly of skin/rind, sinew and bone... they are superb if you like gnawing food using your fingers. They are generally boiled for a few hours. Some people are often put off of eating such produce but I would suggest that you cannot beat well cooked succulent pig skin and fat.... hence the need to diet.

Regards, Paul Kribs
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Postby Michelle » Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:02 pm

I've made pickled pig's feet before,yum!Here in Canada I've never heard of pig's feet being called trotter's.I am sure if I keep hanging around here I will learn all the English lingo:~)Thanks guy's!

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Postby Hobbitfeet » Sat Aug 13, 2005 4:27 pm

A favourite recipe (I think from Ireland) is to add onions butterbreans and seasoning in the final hour of cooking - great with Guiness.

re brains...they do make good eating as Oddley says but I use them to help in the tanning of deer hide in order to produce buckskin - anyone interested, please PM me as it may not be under the remit of this forum.
"I would not enter on my list of friends (Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, yet wanting sensibility) the man who needlessly sets foot upon a worm." William Cowper.
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Postby Michelle » Sat Aug 13, 2005 5:07 pm

[re brains...they do make good eating as Oddley says but I use them to help in the tanning of deer hide in order to produce buckskin - anyone interested, please PM me as it may not be under the remit of this forum.[/quote]

Yes anything you have on the topic of the brain tan method I would sure like to hear.I do know that what ever animal's hide you are trying to tan, it's own brain is enough to tan it's own hide "except buffalo".We are actually off tomorrow to go hunting for a week for moose.I've not tanned any hides before but I do plan on it one of these day's!

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